DRI seizes Rs 51 crore worth gold being smuggled to Mumbai

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has busted a smuggling syndicate of Sudanese nationals bringing gold to Mumbai through the Nepal border and seized 101.7 Kg of smuggled gold worth Rs 51 crore, according to an official statement.

Seven Sudanese nationals including two women and 3 Indian nationals have been arrested so far. Further investigation is in progress to unravel the links of the syndicate.

The gold was seized in DRI’s operation code named Golden Dawn carried out in different interceptions in Patna, Pune and Mumbai. The gold was being smuggled mostly in paste form to help concealment and was being first brought to Patna through the Indo-Nepal border and then transported via train or by air mainly to Mumbai. Along with the gold, Rs 74 lakh worth foreign currency and Rs 63 lakh Indian currency have also been seized, the statement explained.

DRI officials intercepted three Sudanese nationals in the late night of Feb 19 boarding a train at the Patna Railway Station destined to Mumbai. Gold paste containing gold weighing 37.126 kg in 40 packets was recovered from two Sudanese who had ingeniously concealed it in a specially made cavity of the sleeveless jackets worn by them. The third person was the handler coordinating the smuggling activity at the border area and arranged the transport of smuggled gold.

The second set of two Sudanese lady nationals were intercepted on Feb 20 in Pune while travelling from Hyderabad to Mumbai via Bus and 5.615 kg of smuggled gold in assorted form was recovered from them concealed in their hand bags.

The third set of two Sudanese nationals travelling to Mumbai from Patna were intercepted at Mumbai Railway Station on Feb 20. Gold paste containing gold weighing 38.76 kg in 40 packets was recovered from two Sudanese who had concealed it in similar fashion.

Acting swiftly on the leads provided by the smugglers/carriers, the DRI officers recovered about 20.2 kg smuggled gold in assorted forms along with Rs 74 lakh worth foreign currency and Rs 3 lakh Indian currency from different premises in Mumbai being used for extraction/ storage of smuggled gold. Three persons were apprehended in this follow up action.

DRI has earlier unearthed various novel modus operandi of smuggling foreign origin gold into India such as smuggling from the north eastern part of the country either through courier route of logistics company or using concealment methods in vehicles or in person by bus, train, flight etc. or recovery of gold from sea bed in Tamil Nadu Coast, after it was thrown by smugglers from the fishing boat by the smugglers.